Pope reflects on ‘Mary Magdalene, apostle of hope’

May 17, 2017

Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences devoted to Christian hope, Pope Francis spoke on May 17 about St. Mary Magdalene “as an apostle of the hope brought by the Gospel.”

“Saint John tells us on Easter morning Mary had gone to the tomb of Jesus; she saw that it was empty, and returned to tell this news to Peter and the other disciples,” the Pope told the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Returning to the tomb, yet still not understanding what had happened, Mary encounters the Risen Lord, but does not recognize him until he calls her by name.”

“This first appearance of Jesus after rising from the dead is thus something intensely personal,” he continued. “We know that just as he did with Mary Magdalene, so too Jesus calls each of us by name and fills us with joy at his presence.”

The Pope added:

Our encounter with him brings freedom and opens up new vistas of life; it transforms our world and brings undying hope. The risen Lord tells Mary not to cling to him, but to go and tell the good news of his resurrection to the others.

Mary Magdalene thus becomes the apostle of Christian hope. By her prayers, may we encounter anew the risen Lord, who calls us by name, turns our sorrow into joy, and sends us forth to proclaim by our lives that he is truly risen.

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Previous general audiences on hope:

1. Isaiah 40: “Comfort, comfort my people…” (December 7)
2. Isaiah 52: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings…” (December 14)
3. Christ’s birth is the source of hope (December 21)
4. Abraham’s hope against all hope (December 28)
5. Rachel “is weeping for her children”, but... “there is hope for your descendants” (Jer. 31) (January 4)
6. The false hopes of idols (January 11)
7. Jonah: hope and prayer (January 18)
8. Judith, the Courage of a Woman Restores Hope to a People (January 25)
9. The helmet of hope (1 Thess. 5:4-11) (February 1)
10. Hope, Source of Mutual Comfort and Peace (1 Thess. 5:12-22) (February 8)
11. Hope Does Not Disappoint (February 15)
12. For in this hope, we were saved (cf. Rom. 8:19-27) (February 22)
13. Lent as a journey of hope (March 1; no audience March 8, during the Curia’s Lenten retreat)
14. Rejoice in hope (cf. Rom. 12:9-13) (March 15)
15. On Hope Founded in the Word (March 22)
16. Hope against All Hope (March 29)
17. On accounting for our hope (April 5)
18. Hopes of the world and hope of the Cross (cf. John 12:24-25) (April 12)
19. The Risen Christ our Hope (April 19)
20. “I Am with You Always” (April 26; May 3 audience devoted to Pope’s apostolic journey to Egypt)
21. The Mother of Hope (May 10)

 

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Further information:

• 2017.05.17 - General Audience (YouTube Vatican)
• L’Udienza Generale, 17.05.2017 (Holy See Press Office)